Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
The1
stCompetition.TheDifficultBeginnings
31
Thesamecriticdescribedsomeofthebestperformancessosuggestivelythat
whilereadinghisaccountsonecannothelpexclaiming,inimitationofthe
radiosportscommentators(howeverabsurditmaysoundinthiscontext):
“Whatapityyoucannothearthis!”[meaningtheaudienceoftoday]:
TheperformancesthatmetwithparticularsuccessyesterdaywerethosebyJakub
Gimpel[1906–1989](fromthePolishgroup)andGrzegorzGinsburg[Rus.Grig-
oryGinzburg,1904–1961].Theformer,apianistfromLvivandalreadyenjoying
considerablerecognition,[ś]playedtheEtudeinG-SharpMinorsoethereally,
insuchacrystal-clearandcompetentmanner,thatweseemedtohavereached
somequiteexceptionalpointofnonplusultra.Nevertheless,Ginsburg(from
theRussiangroup),whoseauditionfollowedthatofGimpel,playedthesame
étudealsoverycompetently,justasethereallyandclearly,butalsoprovedcapable
ofbringingoutinitseveralvividdetails,newhighlightsandcolours,andtherefore
undeniablywonavictoryinthistrulybeautifulandhighlyengagingtournament.
[ś]HerewemustagainadmiretheSlavcharacter,which,thoughinthiscase
contradictedbythename,existsnonetheless,andisinfactoneofthefoundations
ofthecharmexudedbythisplaying31.
NiewiadomskihintedattheJewishoriginsofthemostgiftedparticipants
onlyinpassing.Duringthe1stChCeditionthisissue,albeititwasnoticed,
wasnotyetviewedevidentlyasaproblem.
Whensumminguptheentireevent,Niewiadomskiobservedthatits
resultswerenotquiteinkeepingwiththeexpectationsofitsfounders,and
raisedquestionsofaesthetic-politicalnature:
TheCompetition[ś]hasprovedtobeapowerfulandsignificantpropaganda
instrument[ś]mainlybecausetheinitiativeshedlightonourinternalrela-
tions.[ś]Iwillstressoncemorethattheresult[i.e.aforeignerwinningthe1st
prize]isonlyseeminglynegativeforus.Eventhefactthatvictory[ś]wentto
aRussianpianistcouldnothurtourambitions,asDirectorMaliszewskiexpressed
itinnotveryfortunate[i.e.quiteunfortunate]termsinhisspeech.Inthepast
Russia’srulehurtthePolishnationforsolongandsoheavilythatthiswordhas
attainedacertainsanctityinourmindsandwhenwenowtalkaboutPolish-Rus-
sianrelationsofanykind,wemustnotuseitinanylessercontexts[ś].Having
invitedtoourcountryartistsfromallovertheworld,hecouldonlyfeelsadif
ourownyoungperformersprovedtostandincomparablyfarbehindtheforeign-
ers.ButinfactthePolishgrouphasmadeanexcellentappearance32.
31S.Niewiadomski,Zżyciamuzycznego.DalszyciągkonkursuSzopenowskiego[From
theMusicLife.TheChopinCompetitionContinues],“Warszawianka”1927,No.26,p.4.
32S.Niewiadomski,PokonkursieSzopenowskim[AftertheChopinCompetition],
“Warszawianka”1927,No.32,p.4.Thenextquotationcomesfromthesamesource.
